On Wednesday, August 13, two young Bald Eagles will return to the skies above Virginia after months of rehabilitation at the Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro.
The Center will release the Bald Eagles at Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield County at 1 p.m. The event is free and open to the public; the release will take place near the park’s front entrance, with park staff available to assist with parking. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP with their name and the number in their party.
The release marks the first time in years that the Center will release a pair of eagles together. The two eagles to be released, Bald Eagle #25-1557 and #25 2253, spent their rehabilitation side by side at the Center, sharing the same enclosure and progressing through recovery as a pair.
“The eagles progressed through their rehabilitation quickly, going from just five flight passes in the flight pen to more than 15. And they always seemed to want to land on the same perch — as soon as one would land, the second would land right on top of the other,” Alex Olvera, the Center’s Rehabilitation Supervisor, said.
Bald Eagle #25-1557 was the first of the two to arrive at the Center in spring 2025. On May 18, the fledgling was found grounded in Chesterfield, with no adult eagles nearby. Upon admission, the Center’s veterinary team found that the young eagle was thin, showing signs of a possible pelvic fracture and suffering from lead poisoning, an all-too-common risk for scavenging raptors.
Nearly a month later, Bald Eagle #25-2253 arrived at the Center. On June 15, the juvenile was discovered on the side of a road in Hopewell. Although it had no visible injuries, its poor body condition suggested it may have been struggling to hunt or feed on its own.
After their initial treatments, the two eagles were placed together and began daily conditioning in one of the Center’s large outdoor flight pens to prepare for release back to wild.
Finally, on August 8, after one month of building up their flight strength and stamina, the eagles were cleared for release by the Center’s vet team.
“During flight training, there’s always that moment when you just know — you see a bird flying strong and think, ‘Yes, you’re ready.’ These two birds came in so young and uncoordinated, and now they’ve demonstrated that they are ready for life in the wild,” Olvera said.
Prior to the release, Center staff, including staff members who have been involved in the eagles’ care and rehabilitation, will share additional information about the eagles’ journey and the threats they face in the wild, including lead poisoning, vehicle collisions and habitat loss.
In 2025, the Wildlife Center expects to treat more than 4,500 patients, including sick, injured and orphaned wild animals from all across Virginia. So far in 2025, the Center has admitted 47 Bald Eagles, including the two scheduled to be released on Wednesday.
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Rebecca Barnabi
